Primary read
Volatility
Volatility expansion watch
Ticker Options Intelligence
PSFE options intelligence
Paysafe Ltd options pressure, expected move, strike concentration, and Sharemaestro trend context.
Conviction
49
Market data through 13 Aug 2026
Checked 13 Aug 2026 18:49 · complete available chain
Volatility expansion watch
Volatility pressure
PSFE currently carries volatility options pressure with a 49/100 conviction score. The nearest-chain expected move is 8.5%, with volume/open-interest participation at 0.25.
Expected move
8.5%
Wider near-term move priced
Activity / OI
0.25
Current volume is quieter versus prior open interest
Put-call
0.50
Call-side skew
Trend fit
53
Options are not fully confirming trend
Weekly backdrop
-9.4%
RS -27.5
Expected move
8.5%
Put-call volume
0.50
Volume / OI
0.25
Reference IV
1.43
Max pain
8.00
Underlying
7.32
Nearest expiry
21 Aug 2026
Contracts
63
Research Brief
PSFE has a volatility chain read with 49/100 evidence alignment.
The practical question is whether the underlying confirms the options concentration. The chain prices a reference range of 6.69–7.95; The largest call open-interest concentration is 9.00; the largest put concentration is 7.00. The most active strike by current volume is 8.00.
Priced range6.69–7.95
Call concentration9.00
Put concentration7.00
Max pain reference8.00
- A clear directional pressure reading develops and price begins to agree.
- Participation is above the ticker's stored normal, which makes the read more noteworthy.
- Volatility falls and the chain remains directionally mixed.
- Options and the weekly trend are not yet giving the same message.
- Front-expiry volatility is rich, so the signal may be event-driven and vulnerable to volatility compression.
Priced Move
Where the chain says movement becomes exceptional
Options imply 6.69 to 7.95. Max pain at 8.00 lies outside the priced range, so it is a weak near-term anchor.
Spot
Max pain
6.697.32 ± 0.637.95
Confirmation level
A close beyond 7.95 or below 6.69 at the 21 Aug expiry would exceed the move currently priced by this chain.
Important limitation
The range is a pricing reference, not a forecast; volatility can reprice sharply after news or as expiry approaches.
Score Construction
Why conviction is 49/100
Pressure is 38/100 toward calls; conviction uses its strength, while the signal label carries its direction.
Directional pressure38 × 42%
+15.9
How strongly activity leans toward calls or puts.
Participation46 × 22%
+10.1
Volume relative to existing open interest and contract-level activity.
Trend agreement53 × 26%
+13.8
How closely the chain read agrees with the underlying trend backdrop.
Volatility90 × 10%
+9.0
The intensity of implied volatility and the priced move.
Positioning by Strike
Where open interest and current activity concentrate
The largest call open-interest concentration is 9.00; the largest put concentration is 7.00. The most active strike by current volume is 8.00. Open-interest concentrations show where positions exist; they are not proven support, resistance or dealer exposure.
Put open interestStrikeCall open interest
0
1.00-86.3%
9
2
2.00-72.7%
4
1
3.00-59.0%
1
10
4.00-45.4%
0
72
5.00-31.7%
0
233
7.00-4.4%
13
40
8.009.3%
54
33
9.0023.0%
183
0
10.0036.6%
70
0
11.0050.3%
12
0
12.0063.9%
2
Nearest spot strike Max pain strikeBars show relative OI within this expiry
Gamma Profile by Strike
Balanced gamma proxy
Call- and put-side gamma sensitivity is broadly balanced across the retained chain. Individual strike concentrations may still matter more than the chain-wide net.
Net profile+$610Delta change / 1% move
Positive peak8.00+$3,026
Negative peak7.00-$7,353
Nearest balance7.71Interpolated sign change
StrikeNegativePositiveNet / 1% move
1.00-86.3%
+$2
2.00-72.7%
+$1
3.00-59.0%
-$58
4.00-45.4%
-$11
5.00-31.7%
-$397
6.00-18.0%
-$173
7.00-4.4%
-$7,353
8.009.3%
+$3,026
9.0023.0%
+$2,272
10.0036.6%
+$2,264
11.0050.3%
+$570
12.0063.9%
+$375
13.0077.6%
+$35
14.0091.3%
+$25
15.00104.9%
+$28
17.00132.2%
+$4
Positive call-side proxy Negative put-side proxyHighlighted row is nearest spot strike
Scenario proxy = gamma × open interest × 100 shares × spot² × 1%. Calls are positive and puts negative by convention. Missing Greeks use a Black-Scholes estimate from stored IV with zero rate and dividend assumptions. Open interest does not reveal who is long or short, so this is not observed dealer positioning or a forecast.
Volatility Curve
Front-loaded volatility
Near-term options are materially richer than later expirations, consistent with concentrated event or immediate-risk pricing.
1.43
21 Aug
8d
0.99
18 Sep
36d
0.78
16 Oct
64d
0.83
15 Jan
155d
Volatility by Strike
Upside optionality premium
Out-of-the-money calls carry higher implied volatility than comparable puts, indicating richer upside optionality.
7
8
Put IV Call IV
Historical Replay
How matured reads behaved through expiry
Forward validation is building. The earliest eligible stored read expires 21 Aug 2026; its result will appear after the matched closing reference is stored.
Directional follow-through-
Moves contained by pricing-
Average expiry move-
Validation readiness
- Auditable calculationoriginal version retained
- Independent entryone read per market session
- Point-in-time referencerequired at entry
- Matched expiry closereported only after maturity
Eligible snapshots must have a dated market session, stored signal, and point-in-time market reference. Each observation uses one read per market session and the first stored weekly close on or immediately after expiry; its original calculation version is retained. It is an evidence audit, not an executable strategy or evidence of future performance.
Evidence Quality
High
Retained chain100%
Implied volatility100%
Two-sided quotes100%
Open interest100%
- Chain status
- Complete available chain
- Market date
- 13 Aug 2026
- Calculation
- v2.0
- Contracts
- 63 / 63
- No material coverage gap was detected in the retained chain.
Aggregate chain data supports concentration, participation and pricing analysis. It does not identify trade aggressor, opening versus closing activity, multi-leg intent or dealer inventory.
Options Intent Radar
Volatility expansion bet
The strongest message is movement risk: expected move and implied volatility are carrying more signal than direction.
Options are pricing movement more than direction; compare expected move with the stock's actual weekly change.
Volatility expansion bet matters because it connects the options headline to the actual evidence: $55,302 of estimated gross traded notional, puts · 91+ days · itm, and a volatility flow versus price backdrop. Use it as a research priority signal, then validate the chart, liquidity, event calendar, and risk before acting.
Options pressure+38
1W price-9.4%
Call premium44%
Put premium56%
Notional split
C 44% / P 56%
Estimated gross traded notional uses volume × contract multiplier × midpoint, or last price when no valid midpoint is available.
Freshness
0.25
Volume divided by open interest across the visible chain.
Trend fit
53/100
Agreement between options pressure and Sharemaestro market context.
Aggregate chain data does not identify trade aggressor or opening versus closing activity; call/put concentration is not proof of market direction.
Puts · 91+ days · ITM
puts cluster with 43 contracts traded, $16,600 estimated gross traded notional, and 30% of visible notional.
$16,600
Calls · 91+ days · OTM
calls cluster with 107 contracts traded, $8,143 estimated gross traded notional, and 15% of visible notional.
$8,143
Calls · 46-90 days · OTM
calls cluster with 141 contracts traded, $6,008 estimated gross traded notional, and 11% of visible notional.
$6,008
Calls · 8-21 days · ITM
calls cluster with 26 contracts traded, $5,185 estimated gross traded notional, and 9% of visible notional.
$5,185
Puts · 46-90 days · OTM
puts cluster with 75 contracts traded, $4,788 estimated gross traded notional, and 9% of visible notional.
$4,788
Setup Classification
Opportunity and risk frame
The tape is pricing or displaying unusually elevated activity.
Expected move or upcoming earnings makes the setup more event-sensitive.
Activity Anomaly
High anomaly
Current options activity is unusually hot versus this ticker's stored history.
Baseline: 11 completed sessions
Volume rank100th
Volume/OI rank100th
IV rank100th
Market Context
Underlying confirmation
Close7.32
1W-9.4%
RS-27.5
Fair value-46.1%
Options pressure38
Speculation46
Volatility90
Trend fit53
Today Versus Normal
Stored-options context
30d avg 19.1% · 11 sessions
0th
90d avg - · 11/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 11/60 sessions
-
30d avg 1.04 · 11 sessions
100th
90d avg - · 11/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 11/60 sessions
-
30d avg 1.29 · 11 sessions
55th
90d avg - · 11/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 11/60 sessions
-
30d avg 0.07 · 11 sessions
100th
90d avg - · 11/30 sessions
-
180d avg - · 11/60 sessions
-
Pressure Trail
Recent pressure and volatility
29 Jul 11:29
Volatility
Pressure 68
Move 22.6%
30 Jul 11:13
Volatility
Pressure 100
Move 25.2%
30 Jul 15:21
Bullish
Pressure 33
Move 19.2%
30 Jul 15:39
Bullish
Pressure 26
Move 19.2%
30 Jul 19:55
Mixed
Pressure 13
Move 20.4%
1 Aug 13:00
Volatility
Pressure -55
Move 20.1%
3 Aug 09:56
Volatility
Pressure -55
Move 19.8%
3 Aug 16:36
Mixed
Pressure 0
Move 22.6%
Strike Map
Where activity is clustering
Strike1.00
Calls · V 4 · OI 9
Puts · V 0 · OI 0
Strike2.00
Calls · V 4 · OI 4
Puts · V 1 · OI 2
Strike3.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 1
Puts · V 0 · OI 1
Strike4.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 0 · OI 10
Strike5.00
Calls · V 0 · OI 0
Puts · V 10 · OI 72
Strike7.00
Calls · V 18 · OI 13
Puts · V 2 · OI 233
Strike8.00
Calls · V 53 · OI 54
Puts · V 1 · OI 40
Strike9.00
Calls · V 6 · OI 183
Puts · V 20 · OI 33
Term Structure
Expiration activity
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Contracts17
Avg IV1.43
Put-call0.39
Expiry18 Sep 2026
Contracts8
Avg IV0.99
Put-call0.26
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Contracts21
Avg IV0.78
Put-call0.61
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Contracts17
Avg IV0.83
Put-call0.53
Skew
Call/put IV balance
21 Aug 2026Call IV premium
Call IV0.75
Put IV0.59
Skew-0.16
18 Sep 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.64
Put IV1.12
Skew0.48
16 Oct 2026Put IV premium
Call IV0.61
Put IV0.74
Skew0.13
15 Jan 2027Balanced skew
Call IV0.65
Put IV0.68
Skew0.03
Contract Tape
Most active contracts
ContractPSFE261016P00003000
SidePut
Expiry16 Oct 2026
Strike3.00
Volume-
OI50
IV2.23
ContractPSFE270115P00005000
SidePut
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike5.00
Volume-
OI20
IV0.76
ContractPSFE260821P00004000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike4.00
Volume-
OI10
IV2.13
ContractPSFE260821C00012000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike12.00
Volume-
OI2
IV2.26
ContractPSFE260821C00003000
SideCall
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike3.00
Volume-
OI1
IV0.50
ContractPSFE270115C00005000
SideCall
Expiry15 Jan 2027
Strike5.00
Volume-
OI1
IV1.85
ContractPSFE260821P00003000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike3.00
Volume-
OI1
IV5.98
ContractPSFE260821P00010000
SidePut
Expiry21 Aug 2026
Strike10.00
Volume-
OI-
IV2.41
Research Graph
Related research and context
Sharemaestro research
Related News
No recent ticker-specific news yet.
Market Watch
No recent market-watch posts yet.
Earnings
No upcoming matched earnings event.
Plain English Guide
Options context
What usually looks constructive
What usually looks cautious
Options can move quickly and can lose value fast. Treat this as research context, not a buy or sell instruction.